Peak rush: Paragliding the Swiss Alps

By Namrata Bhawnani, for CNN

Updated 2321 GMT (0621 HKT) August 18, 2014

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From hyperventilating to breathtaking – The gorgeous panoramas from Beatenberg to Interlaken help distract from the fact that there's little more to hold the paraglider in the alpine air other than air currents.

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Who's driving this thing? – Circling around rising air currents, known as thermals, allows paragliders to ascend. Once they're up, it's easy gliding over Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

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Paragliding with skis – The extreme hybrid sport of speed flying is a combination of skiing and paragliding. Professional stunt pilots can teach licensed gliders to fly while taking advantage of the Alp's powdered slopes.

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Taking off from Verbier – This is the stunning landscape viewed on takeoff from Verbier. Newbie pilots could be flying solo by the second day of their paragliding taster course.

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Glacier views in Silvretta – In winter, white glacier landscape in the Silvretta region of the Canton Graubunden is one of the best views of the Swiss Alps for paragliders.

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It's not a heart attack, just adrenaline – Verbier Summits takes speed flying off the slopes and onto glaciers. If the heart attack-like adrenaline rush isn't enough to convince anyone to try this, the landscape might.

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Enjoying the Alps without flying – Hoehematt is a popular landing point for paragliders in the center of Interlaken. The field is well-visited by tourists who enjoy keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground.

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The art of midair selfie – Extendable camera pole? Check. Smiling as though you're not scared out of your mind? Maybe check.

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Heart-stopping aerobatics – Extreme fun means pushing your blood pressure to the limit with heart-stopping dips and pirouettes. Full stomachs are best left on the ground.

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Story highlights

Paragliding adventures include James Bond-style takeoff at Schilthorn, where "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed

Trick to staying in the air is to find and circle around air currents known as thermals

Licensed paragliders looking to up the adrenaline can try speed flying, an extreme combination of paragliding and skiing

When a man tells me to "trust him," my typical reaction is to run.

When he tells me this while trying to get me to jump off a Swiss mountain with only a paragliding sail to stop me from plummeting to earth, I should run even faster -- even if he does look like Keanu Reeves.

Instead, I ignore my irrational fear of heights and rational fear of men using bad cliches, take a running leap then gasp as the sheer terror subsides and I find myself soaring into the Alpine air.

Below me the Swiss countryside unfolds like a map, with stunning views of the peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, and the waters of Brienz and Thun lakes.

It turns out the worst part of my first-ever paragliding flight -- made in tandem with an instructor resembling the star of "The Matrix" -- was the apprehension beforehand.

It took me a while to build up the courage to even sign up for the flight, after but several hours of watching other people effortlessly winging their way over the glaciers from Beatenberg to Interlaken, I decided to do it.

Still nervous, I opted for the tamer version of the rides on offer.

Versions aimed at thrill seekers involve extreme aerobatics or high altitude James Bond-style takeoffs at Schilthorn, the 2,970 meter (9,700 feet) peak where "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed.

Speed flying is the extreme of extremes -- paragliding plus skiing in the Alps.